Samsung Electronics America helps support military non-profit Fisher House FoundationNew Fisher House will support military and veterans’ families receiving treatment at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical...

PRESS RELEASE GlobeNewswire

Dec. 7, 2017, 11:59 AM

Charleston, SC, Dec. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first Fisher House in South Carolina, located in Charleston, was officially dedicated today and Samsung Electronics America, Inc. was there to celebrate the opening. This is the first of four new homes built with Samsung’s support since their financial and technology partnership with Fisher House Foundation was announced in 2015.

The Charleston Fisher House is the first of four new homes built with Samsung’s support since their financial and technology partnership with Fisher House Foundation was announced in 2015.

Following the dedication ceremony, the ribbon was officially cut on Fisher House number 73.

Cutting the ribbon was Samsung Electronics America’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy John Godfrey joined by Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Executive in Charge, Veterans Health Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher.

The new Fisher House, located in downtown Charleston at 150 Wentworth Street, will provide lodging for up to 16 families of eligible Veterans and active duty military members at no cost, allowing them to be close to their loved one while they receive care at the Charleston VA Medical Center. This “home away from home” will not only create an instant community for its residents – united by their common mission of supporting a sick or injured loved one –it will also provide families with a secure and private refuge after a long day at the medical center to rest and recharge. In addition to contributing to construction, Samsung provided televisions and other technology installed in the Charleston Fisher House.

“As Samsung grows its business and footprint in-state, it is truly our honor to help open this new home today as a principal construction donor and technology partner,” said Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. “Samsung is proud to work with organizations like Fisher House Foundation that help our nation’s veterans and military families better connect, build communities, and live enriching lives. With more than 80-thousand veterans living in South Carolina alone, we believe the Charleston home will be a tremendous source of support to the community in the years to come.”

“It is an honor to bring families together at a time when they need it most – during a medical crisis,” said Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO, Ken Fisher. “Building a Fisher House in a new community requires much passion and even more perseverance, and we are thankful to Samsung who helped make this house a reality.”

The Charleston Fisher House will join the network of over 70 Fisher Houses operating in the United States and Europe, and was gifted to the Department of Veterans Affairs as part of today’s ceremony.

Samsung’s technology partnership with Fisher House Foundation has also included refurbishing and outfitting many of the existing Fisher Houses with brand new, state-of-the-art Samsung home appliances, televisions, KNOX-secured tablets and other personal electronics. Samsung also helped curate a suite of apps for use on more than 250 Samsung tablets to equip families to more effectively communicate back home to loved ones, neighbors, employers, and teachers, as well as to assist in the management of medical care, finances, and education.

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About Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.

About Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an estimated $360 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.